Senate OKs compromise on mercury emissions

Programs could be developed to dispose of motor vehicle switches.

Programs could be developed to dispose of motor vehicle switches.

March 03, 2006|MARTIN DeAGOSTINO Tribune Staff Writer

INDIANAPOLIS -- Compromise legislation that unanimously passed the Senate on Wednesday could reduce airborne mercury emissions that settle in water and enter the food chain all the way to humans. House Bill 1110 targets motor vehicle mercury switches that operate convenience lights in trunks and hoods. Manufacturers no longer use them, but thousands remain in older vehicles destined for scrap and smelting by steel mills. The bill requires vehicle manufacturers to develop state-approved programs to collect, recycle or dispose of switches from vehicles destined for scrap. It also authorizes a per-switch fee, or bounty, of $1 to $5 that would incentivize scrap yards, scrap metal processors and related businesses to remove the switches for later collection. Lawmakers and lobbyists from the steel and auto industries agreed that the collection program would be most effective if bounties were available. But neither big steel nor Detroit was willing to pay the bounties, and House lawmakers rejected vehicle registration or other consumer fees as a bounty source. Enter the compromise, which requires the state to pay the bounty from the Solid Waste Management Fund, administered by the Department of Environmental Management. The department would bolster the fund, which was designed for other purposes, with new revenues tied to environmental fines. Instead of waiting for revenues to accrue, however, a novel feature of the bill allows scrap-using steel mills to contribute to the fund, or bank, even before they incur any fines. They could then draw down banked contributions, or credits, if the state ever fined them for environmental violations. But the contributions would be tied to voluntary contributions that anticipate eventual fines -- unlikely, according to bill sponsor Beverly Gard, R-Greenfield -- or to the value of mercury-reduction activities that are not required by law or rule. "I think we've struck a real good balance" on bounties and environmental banking, Gard said. But she declined to predict the amended bill's House fate, given significant modifications since it left that chamber. Domestic court bill clears Senate St. Joseph County would be able to establish a domestic relations court and charge fees for court-ordered counseling under legislation that passed the Senate on Thursday. Under current law, only Lake and Marion counties are authorized to have domestic relations courts and counseling bureaus. House Bill 1156 extends that right to all other counties, but requires the county council to approve a fee schedule for domestic relations counseling. Sen. John Broden, D-South Bend, said St. Joseph County judges already use domestic relations counseling in child custody, divorce and visitation cases. But they cannot charge fees for the service, which helps them sort through arguments presented by the parties to each case. The judges asked Broden to seek fee authority from the legislature, so the counseling program could be more cost-effective. Broden said the new court should not require additional general fund spending in St. Joseph County, as judges assigned to the court will continue to hear other cases.